


Caged Like a Human

by Cortassian



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-11
Packaged: 2018-02-04 08:14:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1772032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cortassian/pseuds/Cortassian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wolverine's still in the past and the X-Men have been collected up to the maximum security prison, the mutants are domesticated with a special serum that humanizes them. They need to escape before Dr.Trask figures out where the primary candidate for his sentinels is being held.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back to where we've started

**Author's Note:**

> Notes  
> *This takes place after X-Men Days of Futures Past, Wolverine is still in the past with all the memories, he is still working on changing the future, I will try to explain more throughout the story

     Charles stared at Erik and Erik stared right back, the two of them matched in grey sweats and dark blue hoodies, the only thing that set these ex-friends apart from the other inmates was the collar they wore. A device that sat on the back of their neck’s feeding in some type of substance through six small needles that stuck into them. This device set apart all of the mutants from the other inmates.

  
It hadn’t been only Erik and Charles who’d been taken, but the brotherhood as well. Standing in a similar fashion, Hank stood across from Raven, Alex stood across Emma, Darwin across from Angel, Sean and Wolverine watched from a neutral position as these friends turned enemies now watched each other unsure of the next step.

  
How did it all go so wrong?

  
Charles had let Magneto go, Mystique had gone. He’d stop drinking and was experimenting with Hank on a serum that didn’t affect his powers, the war had ended and Alex had come home, they began rebuilding the school. Wolverine had disappeared and reappeared, his memories not fully intact from when he was sent into the water by Erik and resurrected by someone, his claws were now metal and no longer bone.

  
So how did they all get here? Why now did they all stand together in a large cell surrounded by bars, waiting to be moved into the prison? Surrounded and isolated from the human convicts.

  
How did this happen?

  
Using Cerebro Charles had realized that Emma, Angel, Sean, Darwin none of them had died-they were continued to being experimented on in an underground unit. Wolverine and Alex took a couple of new recruits that had decidedly joined them including Pietro, Ororo Munroe…Unfortunately, many of the new recruits were young Alex’s younger brother, Scott was only 10, Pietro’s sister was four, Jean had only been 11. Hank had opted to remain at the mansion with them, to make sure they were kept safe… Charles thought it seemed only right to let Erik and Raven, who decidedly joined the escapade without his knowledge.

  
It had been easy to re-capture their old friends, to easy and they all knew it regardless they returned them all home. It had been the first time they had all been together again, Charles, Raven, Angel, Sean, Alex, Darwin, Hank…Erik and Emma too. That’s when it went wrong they had been followed.

  
Followed and shot at.

  
Charles was able to sense the incoming intruders fast enough to send the young mutants into hiding along with Pietro and Ororo, Alex had opted to fight.And just like that the family had been broken once again. They all stood imprisoned amongst human convicts surrounded by guards and guns, all unable to use their gifts.

“Great you broke us out of a lab and now were shoved into a prison, smooth sailing sugar.” Emma sighed, looking over her much needed to be done nails. “What’s the plan now?”

  
“Take out the guards, kill our way out.” Erik said plainly.

  
“No way bub, too many of them and if you failed to notice we ain’t exactly powered up.” Logan rebuked.

  
“Isolate them one by one.” Emma added.

  
“That would take too much time.” Erik replied.

  
“We’re not going to murder anyone!” Charles said rubbing his temples.

  
“Charles you need to be reasonable.” Raven said going to touch his face.

  
“Reasonable? I am being reasonable murder is not the answer. You’ve really diluted her-changed her haven’t you, Erik?” Charles spit out and moving her hand from him.

  
“I’m not saying we should kill them, but we have to do something.” Raven spoke desperately.

  
“Why shouldn’t we kill them? Look at what they did to us! Darwin, Sean? They deserve to die.” Angel said holding herself.

  
“You’ve traded in one Shaw for another Angel.” Darwin spoke moving closer to the professor’s side.

  
Sean didn’t say anything.

  
“You can’t be so naïve to think that they’ll just let us go without any casualties?” Erik retorted back to Charles.

  
“I will not kill anyone, if we’re to do this we do it my way not yours.” Charles spoke again.

  
“What your plan then Charles?” Erik asked irritated.

  
“Plan?” Charles chuckled, moving his long hair from his face, “I don’t know, but were going to get out of here with or without you.” Charles spoke harshly.

  
“Abandoning us vicar?” Erik sneered back at him. He always knew how to push Charles buttons.

  
“No, I don’t abandon people! I don’t leave people for dead and I don’t commit mass murder Erik! I found them, not you, me and we got them out.” Charles said eyes teary and tired. “I found them.”

  
“It is our job to protect them, Charles do you really think you’ll be able to do that? Look at the state of you barley standing, what do you know of prison, sitting in your posh little life in the big mansion.” Erik smirked at him.

“You need me, you need us.”

  
Charles straightened up his wobbly legs and moved closer to Erik’s face, “I will never need you Erik and I will never depend on you again, are we clear?” Charles said.

  
Erik leaned down and cocked and eyebrow “Let’s see you try and get out of here without me.”

  
Crack! Charles slammed a fist straight into Erik’s jaw, similarly to the way he had when Erik had been broken from prison.

  
Erik stumbled back, gripping his jaw “Always good to see you old-friend.”

  
It was clear with one line that they were back to where they had started. Darwin, Alex, and Hank, Sean joined the Professor sides.

  
Emma, Angel and Raven had joined to Erik’s side.

  
Logan remained at his position.

  
“Let’s go freaks! Time to meet your new home, welcome to Knox Maximum Security Prison, Warden Johnson will be here to welcome you new inmates to your new home.”

  
All of them walked with cuffs on across from their building to another, inmates in the yard hung on the chain linked fence.

  
Wolf calls, Cat calls, crude things were being yelled at them.

  
They stood in what looked to be the cafeteria. Warden Johnson stared at each of the new inmates along with Sergeant William Stryker, who held a big shit eating grin at the inmates.

  
“Now Sergeant Stryker has informed me the military needs our secure prison, to house whatever the hell you are, let me just be clear you will get no special treatment, you will do as I say when I say it, you will do what the guard say when they say it.” Warden Johnson finished up.

  
Stryker took center from that point on “Don’t bother trying to remove your collars those are to keep you not so friendly’s at bay, if you try to remove it a substance will be released causing you to be paralyzed and pass out.

Now you will each be assigned to a cell and you will be treated as any other inmates would, you may write letters, make calls, we simply are making sure to contain you-it all honesty we’re doing what’s best for you.”

  
Logan openly snorted at the statement.

  
“Be careful Wolverine.” Stryker sneered before leaving.

  
The mutants were divided into their cells; Hank and Charles, Angel and Raven, Alex and Logan, Emma and Darwin, leaving Sean and Erik.

  
It was going to be a long night.

  
They had all been on the second level cells but none of them were located near one another, each was at different block, most likely to keep them from plotting with one another during night hours.

  
Darwin and Emma had been the closest, B201, the two of them walked into the small cell.

  
“No fucking or screwing, same rules go for you- if you can’t abide by the rules will stick you with the nutters over at the White House with all the rapist and perverts you like…would you like that sweetheart?” The guard directed at Emma.

  
“I think I’ll be just fine sugar.” Emma said with a smirk that made the guard feel uncomfortable.

  
“White house?” Charles whispered in the background.

  
“They wear white uniforms; they’re in an isolated unit near the hill.” Alex said quickly.

  
Many of them had forgotten it wasn’t Alex’s first time in a place like this, Erik and Charles had recruited him while he was in solitary confinement.

  
“Let’s move inmates.” The guard called, moving to the next cell.

  
“No peepin’ sugar.” Emma smirked at Darwin.

  
“Not really my type, which bunk you want?”

  
“What a gentlemen, I’ll take the top.” Emma smiled back.

  
“I’m bottom then.”

  
“I’m sure you are sugar.” Emma chuckled.

  
Darwin decidedly ignored her comment, as he began placing his bedding down.

  
>>>>

  
The next block had been next door, Block C, for Logan and Alex.

  
_Cell C215_

  
Logan and Alex moved in without much word spoken, until Alex went to move his bedding to the bottom bunk.

  
“You’ll take top Junior.” Logan scowled.

  
Alex glared but moved his things without word.

  
>>>>

  
Next they moved to across the hall for Block D, Angel and Raven pushed into

  
_Cell D240_

  
“Now if you too feel lonely at night don’t be afraid to call.” The guard snickered closing the cell behind them.  
The two girls looked at him with disgusted glares but decidedly chose to remain quiet.

  
>>>>

  
The next block had been Block E, at the for Erik and Sean who wordlessly moved into

  
_Cell E252_

  
Sean immediately went for the top bunk and laid down without setting up his bedding, Erik shoved his things to the lower bunk and turned to keep his eyes on Charles, who did everything he could to avoid contact.

  
>>>>

  
Lastly Charles and Hank were placed on the same block as Erik and Sean but at opposite ends.

  
_Cell E260_

  
All of them were in viewing distance of one another in a large rectangle, all they would have to do is stand by the cell door to see each other, and anything they would have said would have been heard among all the inmates and guards.


	2. Midnight Terrors

Midnight Terrors

Darwin and Emma: Cell B201

            Emma flicked her foot at the ceiling, bored and annoyed this was her third time in capture and she really was over the whole thing. The first time with those government idiots in some basement and she really could have left at anytime but thought it would be more fun to stay than it actually was. Then kept like a rat in some secret lab, decidedly dull and now she was surround by a bunch of weak humans, powerless. It was times like these she really missed Shaw and the yacht.

“Sugar correct if I’m wrong, but didn’t you die?” Emma asked.

Darwin sighed, “My abilities allow me to adapt to any condition.”

“I do recall something like that, I also recall you bursting into nothing.” Emma stated.

“Thanks to your friend, Shaw.”

Emma laughed at the remark, “We were just trying to build a better world and you could have been a part of it.”

“I didn’t want to be a part of it; I didn’t want part of your genocide.” Darwin snapped at her. He turned to his side and faced the wall.

“Your loss sugar though didn’t end up being like that did it? Let bygones be bygones we’re on the same team now. Come on tell me how you did it.”

“We are not on the same team, the professor made that clear, your new boss made that clear too.”

“Oh sugar they’re just havin’ a tiff. We’re gonna have to stick together and the sooner they realize that the sooner we’ll get out of here. Now stop changing the subject, how’d you do it?”

“My body adapted into air particles-not really sure what I was or how I did it. My form…my physical form returned back after a month or so, but by then the government wasn’t feeling so friendly and they shoved into some lab, and then they brought you in…my friends in...”

Emma became silent and Darwin didn’t feel the need to add. They chose to sleep over conversation.

>>>> 

Logan and Alex: Cell C215

            Logan wasn’t much for conversation, but if he was going to get his plan back on track and stop the war that was to be coming in fifty years time, he’d need these idiots to stop arguing and join rank.

Alex and Logan had met briefly before searching out the captured mutants. Alex knew all about why Logan was sent back from the future and how he was to prevent horrors, Alex felt off about him.

“So you were in the army huh?”

Alex wasn’t much for talking either.

“Bub?”

Logan sighed before using his foot to kick Alex pointedly in the ass.

“What?” Alex snapped openly irritated.

“I fought in a few wars, still think Vietnam was one of the more pointless ones, but you know governments always lookin’ to fight someone.” Logan said.

Alex didn’t say anything.

“I know your brother in the future; he’s a pain in my ass, he’s good guy don’t get me wrong but he’s dickhead.” Logan stated.

Alex chuckled at that “Probably my fault, wasn’t around enough to kick him in the ass, you know he was suppose to be the normal one? Yeah my parents, they didn’t want me around much when they realized what I was…Scotty was suppose to be normal. My parents begged me to take him when they realized he was like me.”

“Nothing wrong with ya kid.” Logan said kindly.

“I know that now thanks to the professor, but I use to be an angry kid. Didn’t think I would end up back in one of these shit holes?”

“I hear that bub, you know in the future Scott does alright, marries a beautiful woman, a woman far too good for him, teaches kids, protects them, he grows up right.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You know the Professor he and Magneto were the ones who sent me back to make to change what happened.”

“Scotty doesn’t survive the war does he…?”

“Kid, no one does. Whatever you saw in Vietnam isn’t even a slice of what happens in the future.”

“We have to get them back together don’t we?”

“Yeah kid.”

>>>> 

Angel and Raven: Cell D240

            “Can you believe that idiot guard, like even if we weren’t in this place he’d have a chance with us?” Raven stated annoyed.

“Trust me; he doesn’t even top the list of most creepy men I have ever met.” Angel chuckled.

“Gross.” Raven shuttered.

“They’re all going to do that, think that.” Angel said solemnly.

“What do you mean?”

“Three women in a man’s prison, they didn’t even try to put us in a separate area or anything. They’re going to fight at who gets a chance with us first, who’s going to take us first.” Angel spoke.

“Hey, we’ve got each other’s back, nothing going to happen we’ll just stick together.” Raven said hugging her best friend.

“Even if we get out of here, I have nothing…they took my wings-Raven.” Angel said dropping to her knees crying.

Raven lifted her friend to the lower bunk and let her cry; she didn’t know what to say or what to do, so she let Angel cry.

They fell asleep together on the bottom bunk.

>>>> 

Sean and Erik: Cell E252

            Erik didn’t mind that Sean didn’t want to talk to him; he just found it odd that the kid didn’t talk at all. He remembered back when they all lived at the mansion together, how the kid would never shut up. He was a funny kid, he never allowed Erik to stand near him during flight training exercises, which was fine, especially since he shoved him a couple of times.

This entire time from the capture at the mansion, to the room where they all argued about the next move, to the cell the boy hadn’t said a word, Erik in all honestly didn’t remember hearing him speak when they were rescuing from the lab.

Erik could hear him shifting continuously, with light grunts and groans it sounds like he was having a nightmare. Erik remembered his own nightmares far too vividly, some from when he was back at the camp in Germany…but of late many of them had been of Charles of that moment on the beach, the moment when he threatened the president. Charles should have killed him by now, but he never could. Charles was too weak for his own good, Erik needed him to understand that humans would continue to do this to them…hurt them, hurt Charles.

Sean whined louder.

Erik stood up and looked at the boy, jostling him awake. Sean woke up with a panicked sort of look, before he realized who woke him up, whatever relief he felt was brief and was replaced by a glare of anger.

“Are you alright?” Erik asked.

Sean said nothing but moved his face toward the wall and his back toward Magneto.

That’s right Sean hated him, just like the rest of Charles little X-Men force did, he couldn’t blame him for that. What would Charles do in this sort of situation? Erik wasn’t particularly good about “feelings.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Sean remained silent. Erik put his hand on Sean’s back and felt him cringe away, he was shaking. This silly boy who laughed loudly and use to make the most dramatic movements away from Erik during flight lessons, was shaking?

“I remember being experimented on, it’s not your fault Banshee, we should have-I should have protected you.” Erik sighed.

He continued to rub Sean’s back; he hummed an old German lullaby that his mother use to sing. Eventually Sean stopped shaking, Erik stayed there until he fell asleep.

>>>> 

Hank and Charles: Cell E260

            Hank stood over Charles, picking at the device on his neck.

“Alright the substance there using is similar to the serum that I used on you, which is why your able to walk, that’s the yellow substance, this clear substance that is next to it looks more like GHB or a substance similar to it, as the man Stryker said to paralyze and induce blackouts. It has a trigger mechanism; if you try to remove any of the needles it immediately releases both substances. The yellow substance prevents us from activating our powers and the clear substance prevents us from using in physical form of resistance. If I didn’t hate it, I’d say it was quite brilliant.” Hank analyzed.

“Very good, Hank, please do and see if theirs away to remove it or stop it from activating.” Charles said mildly exhausted.

“Prof-Charles? How are we going to get out of here?” Hank asked.

“I’m not sure yet, tomorrow I’m going to look around the parameter and see if there are any weak points.” Charles said, laying down into his bed.

Hank hopped on the top bunk.

“How’s your back doing?”

“This substance they pumped into us…its strong but not as strong, I can feel it whatever remnants of shard is left in there.” Charles whispered.

“Are you in pain?” Hank asked a bit more concerned.

“No, I’m fine Hank just a bit sore.” Charles said allowing on tear slid down his cheek.

_I’m in agony my dear friend._

Charles thought, but would never say something as such out loud, there was to many priorities his comfort not being at the top of them. He couldn’t lose them again, he had to save them this time, and he had to protect them. He would save them this time, even if he had to die to do it.

The Morning After

The night had been restless for all the mutants, the guards called them and the cells moved open. Everyone took their place outside their cells as count was taken. The mutants each took a second to look at their fellow mutant looking them over to see that made it through the night.

Erik and Charles caught eyes briefly, before Charles made a very clear turn away.

_“Charles”_ Erik thought as loudly as he could, he knew their gifts were gone but he couldn’t help the reflex of calling to his old friend.

Everyone was present for count, as they all ushered down toward the cafeteria for breakfast. None of the inmates had made approach yet, it was clear to them that these new prisoners were not like the others.

Charles group had gone through the line, with heads kept low only mumbling out polite thank you here and there.

Erik’s group had kept their eyes direct and open watching everything around them.

It was clear to all the other inmates that the groups were not allies, by how they chose to sit at opposite corners away from one another.

>>>> 

Charles Group

The kids had poked at their food with a contemptuous look. Logan had stared at his food with a long look of debate if he would actually ingest something that looked like it came from some type of animal’s ass.

Hank squirmed in the awkward silence began to talk about the first thing that came to mind “So the device contains two substances on a trigger mechanism, if we attempt to remove it, it releases a substance to induce paralysis and black outs…”

“Yes remove bad, we get it Beast let’s not do science during breakfast.” Alex interrupted.

“Just making conversation…” Hank mumbled out.

Darwin gave Hank a small smile and light pat on the back, he gave a look to Alex that simply said _don’t be rude._

Alex shrugged in response.

“How did everyone sleep?” Charles asked trying to diffuse any remaining tension.

“Alright.” Alex answered.

“Emma talks a lot, she wouldn’t let me sleep until I explained to her the whole adapted to Shaw’s energy ball thing.” Darwin said, waving his arms around.

“It is fascinating though.” Hank said with small.

“At midnight nothing is fascinating, not even my greatness.” Darwin chuckled.

Alex became tense by the mention of Shaw; Charles placed an arm around Alex.

“It wasn’t your fault Alex, you came up with a solid plan you couldn’t have expected what would of happen.” Charles whispered to his young friend.

Alex nodded but his guilt remained.

“Sean, how did you sleep?” Charles said looking to the red-headed boy.

It was the first time he really looked at Sean since the moment he said goodbye to the boy who had been drafted to the war, originally they all thought he had died in the war, until Charles had located him in the underground unit.

Sean, usually bright filled with sarcasm and laughter, was now timid and pale with little to say.

The boy hadn’t answered Charles.

“Sean?” Charles asked again.

Logan bumped the young boy, “Bub?”

Sean finally pulled from his daze looked at the small group who now openly stared at him.

“Yes…what? Fine.” Sean responded before turning back to soggy oatmeal.

“Sean?” Charles asked pointedly. “If you need to tell us something whatever it is, you can tell us you’re among friends.”

Sean nodded as the rest returned back to their meals.

>>>> 

Erik’s Group

Erik and the girls sat down at a table in a back corner, Emma had been filing them in on how Darwin survived, Erik was happy the boy survived, he’d been a good kid.

His eyes kept wondering back to Charles, the man could barely stand to look at him in the morning. Charles hair had remained long and his beard grown out, he looked older than he was, and he looked exhausted.

What had Charles been doing since he’d left…for the second time?

Erik’s attention was drawn back to the women as a large man approached with an openly shown swastika displayed on his chest.

“I was wonderin’ which of you girls I’d take first, how about you precious?” The large man winked toward Emma.

“That’s some ink you’ve got friend.” Erik spoke.

“You like that boy, Big Randy did that right up for me in the cell, I’m sure we could sort you out with something too, given you got the proper payment.” The large man said kissing Ravens hand; Raven pulled her hand away in disgust.

Erik saw all the women tense up, he had been expecting this, he had been hoping for this with all the anger that had built up.

“Want to see my ink?” Erik said lifting himself up.

Erik moved his shirt out of the way to display the inked numbers on his forearm.

“This was a gift from the camps.” Erik spoke with harsh directness.

“You jew--“

Before the man was able to finish, Erik slammed him against a nearby wall, beating him bloody. He pulled the man up only to throw him against the table the other Aryans sat at.

“You want them,” Erik said gesturing to Emma, Raven and Angel “You better fucking kill me.” Erik huffed, sitting back down at his seat.

The fight had been over as soon as it started. The guards had rushed down to ask what happened; everyone responded that the man had obviously just fallen. The guards escorted the man to the infirmary and left it at that.

In small act of dominance Erik had made it clear to all the other inmates, he wasn’t going down easy and the few women living in the prison were not to be touched at least not in Erik’s presence.

The thought made Erik, grin like a shark. Until he met Charles eyes—Charles had a way of looking of him with horror and sadness. Erik’s grin had dropped and he felt a growing rage once again.

The rest of breakfast had passed without incident. The other inmates went to work details; the mutants were lined up for a “treatment.” The guards had placed them against the wall; the ladies were to be first followed by the men. The guards guided them through a series of pathways until they reached the medical building.

The medical unit was small and basic, but one by one each mutant went in for various tests.

Charles had ended up standing by Erik, he wanted to ignore the man but his eyes were beginning to burn a hole in his head.

“What do you want Erik?” Charles asked irritated.

“You gave me a look during breakfast.” Erik responded casually.

“What?”

“You gave me a look during breakfast, after I had a disagreement with that man.”

“A disagreement, that’s what you call beating a man.” Charles said with spite.

“Do you know what he would have done to them…what he would have done to your sister? I had to protect them Charles, it was the best way to make a very clear statement. You have to show strength Charles.” Erik responded undeterred by the smaller man’s irritation.

Charles sighed, “I appreciate you protecting them, but are you really incapable of showing strength through anything that is not violence?”

“Actions speak louder than words, as you so kindly displayed when we were stuck in that cage.”

Charles gritted his teeth with curled fist.

_You want to punch me again don’t you? Do it, it’ll make us both feel so better._

“I’m not going to punch you Erik.” Charles seethed, “No matter how much I desire too.”

“Xavier! You’re up!” A guard yelled.

Charles moved to the medical room, unaware of what he just did. Erik had, Charles had read his mind, and Charles could hear him. Wolverine had caught on as well; he’d been watching the scene play out behind Erik.

>>>> 


End file.
